31/03/2020
NAVRATRI IN CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN WITH ACCOMPANYING DEPRESSION
why are we discussing all the three together?
The two times we celebrate Navratri in a year are the times of seasonal transition. Our ancient wisdom believed that during this time, our immunity goes down and we become more susceptible to diseases and depression. That is why our diet is traditionally modified during this period to avoid foods that are tough to digest, like heavy cereals, pulses and non-veg food and replace them with easily digestible starches and fats like desi ghee along with dairy products so that our body doesn't feel lethargic in breaking down the heavy food stuff and stays energetic and focuses on strengthening the immune system in this phase. As always, this scientific practice was linked with religion so that even the uneducated people follow it in the name of God.
Now, our ancestors suggested a diet shift and not calorie restriction which is a stupid trend that has come into practice and people during Navratri, proudly spend their day drinking milk and eating fruits without taking the solid food items in the three main meals. They even despise pakoras as they feel that if deep fried food is eaten, then the fast becomes useless. This attitude totally messes up the science behind Navratri diet shift.
Starvation was not the goal here. Diets low in calories, proteins and fats further lower the immunity and lack of sufficient amount of carbs and fats in the diet make us more susceptible to depression. Now imagine, during this Navaratri being threatened by the coronavirus pandemic and depression due to lockdown, if we are not planning our meals properly, we are becoming more susceptible to infections and depression. The best way to fast is to eat the fasting approved food and pseudocereals like sabudana, kuttu, singhare ka atta and the likes and one meal of deep-fried food everyday.
Essential fats and proteins would keep your immunity high and starchy food will help fight depression.
This is called -FASTING WITH A PURPOSE.